PM Modi lays foundation stone of first international cricket stadium in Varanasi
The stadium will be built in a 30-acre area at a cost of Rs.450 crore. The Uttar Pradesh government said that it has spent Rs.121 crore to acquire the land for the stadium, while the BCCI will spend Rs.330 crore on its construction. The stadium is likely to be completed by December 2025
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid the foundation stone of the first international cricket stadium in in Varanasi’s Ganjari in Uttar Pradesh.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath and a galaxy of cricket legends, including Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Dilip Vengsarkar, Madan Lal, Gundappa Viswanath, Gopal Sharma and Ravi Shastri, attended the foundation laying ceremony of the first stadium of eastern UP.
BCCI president Roger Binny, vice-president Rajiv Shukla and secretary Jay Shah were also present on the occasion.
The stadium will be built in a 30-acre area at a cost of Rs.450 crore. The Uttar Pradesh government said that it has spent Rs.121 crore to acquire the land for the stadium, while the BCCI will spend Rs.330 crore on its construction. The stadium is likely to be completed by December 2025.
The architecture of the cricket stadium proposed at Ganjari in Varanasi will be reminiscent of the holy city’s rich heritage and things related to Lord Shiva, said Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) chief executive officer Ankit Chatterjee. The roofs will be in the form of a crescent that crowns Lord Shiva, while the floodlights will be trident-shaped, he added.
After the inauguration, speaking at the event, Modi said it would help popularise sports and nurture sporting talent among youngsters.
“This stadium in the city of ‘Mahadev’ will be dedicated to ‘Mahadev’ himself. This stadium will become the star of Purvanchal region,” Modi said.
With the construction of this cricket stadium in 2.5 years, Varanasi would be able to host international cricket matches, said regional sports officer RP Singh.
The PM later in the day, will reach Sampurnanand Sanskrit University in the city, where he will participate in Nari Shakti Vandan- Abhinandan Karyakram.
“The historic passing of the Nari Shakti Vandan Act is also proof of how the country takes major decisions when there is a stable government with a full majority,” Modi said.
In the programme, 5,000 women will honour the PM in view of the passage of the women’s reservation bill in parliament and he would also interact with the women regarding the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023.
From the university, the PM would leave for Rudraksh International Cooperation and Convention Centre, from where he would launch the 16 newly-built Atal Awasiya Vidyalayas, one of which is in Varanasi, and interact with students.
The schools were launched exclusively for children of construction workers, daily wagers, and Covid orphans to give them quality education and help in their holistic development and growth. Each Atal school is built in an area of 10-15 acres and has a ground for sporting activities, a recreational area, a mini auditorium, a hostel complex, a mess and residential flats for staff. Each school intends to eventually accommodate 1,000 students.
The prime minister will then participate in the closing ceremony of Kashi Sansad Sanskritik Mahotsav that kicked off on September 1.
The Mahotsav witnessed the participation of over 37,000 people who showed their talents in 17 disciplines in music, dance and acting, said Varanasi chief development officer Himanshu Nagpal.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath said that these projects will further accelerate the development journey of Varanasi as well as the entire Uttar Pradesh.
“I am very eager to participate in these programs going to be held today in Baba Vishwanath’s city Kashi. These projects will further accelerate the development journey of Varanasi as well as the entire Uttar Pradesh. Today at around 1:30 pm, along with laying the foundation stone of a grand international cricket stadium in Varanasi, we will have the privilege of inaugurating 16 Atal Residential Schools. Apart from this, I will also be a part of the closing ceremony of Kashi Sansad Cultural Mahotsav,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
